Aviation charts path to climate-neutrality
Leading representatives of the aerospace industry, the European Commission, the German government, research institutes and the finance and energy sector have laid out the path to climate-neutral aviation at the EU #AeroDays2020. Whilst the recovery is the key focus at the moment, experts agreed that the long-term trends in aviation are unlikely to change. They expect growth will return once the current COVID-19 crisis has been overcome. This is why decisive action is required now to achieve the ambitious goal of climate-neutral aviation.
“We’ve shaped the way towards climate-neutral aviation here in Berlin”, emphasised Reiner Winkler, Vice-President Aviation at BDLI. ”Aviation, like all other sectors of economy and society, is about turning the corner in energy supply: fossil fuels must be replaced. Hydrogen will play a prominent role in this. Climate-neutral aviation requires suitable aircraft. The areas of technology that need to be further developed are digitisation and connectivity, new engines, integrated flight-systems and high-performance lightweight structures. We will tackle this now.”
"All the discussion forums at the EU #AeroDays2020 were characterised by the realisation that new ways are needed to overcome the consequences of the current air traffic crisis in the interest of society", explained Professor Anke Kaysser-Pyzalla, Chair of the DLR Executive Board. "This can only succeed if there is a process characterised by close cooperation and a clear goal: a Green Deal. At the end of the process, there will be climate-neutral air traffic accepted by the people."
All stakeholders confirmed at the EU #AeroDays2020 that their goal is to make climate-neutral aviation possible. This requires long-term stable framework conditions and concrete support in the risky development of technological competencies up to market maturity. The aviation industry has shown what this path can look like. Now, the right regulatory framework and targeted investment in research and development is needed to achieve this ambitious objective. This cannot wait: change is now.
Berlin Aviation Summit and #AeroDays2020 FORUM
The EU #AeroDays2020 are the most important European event for research and innovation and is hosted every four years by the European Commission. This year, for the first time, the event took place in Berlin, together with the German host, the Federal Ministry of Economics and Energy (BMWi), and jointly organised by the German Aerospace Industries Association (BDLI) and the German Aerospace Center (DLR). At this hybrid event, more than 1,100 participants from all over the world took part in the conference, consisting of the Berlin Aviation Summit and the EU AeroDays FORUM. The first part of the EU AeroDays took place in 2019 in the Romanian capital Bucharest and attracted around 800 participants.
The Berlin Aviation Summit took place first day of the EU AeroDays. The "Davos of Aviation" brought together leading representatives of the global aviation industry, including EU Transport Commissioner Adina Vălean, Airbus CEO Guillaume Faury, MTU Aero Engines CEO Reiner Winkler, Salvatore Sciacchitano, ICAO Council President, and IATA Director General Alexandre De Juniac. A total of 315 participants joined online to follow the Berlin Aviation Summit.
Video summary of the EU AeroDays
About BDLI: The Federal Association of the German Aerospace Industry (BDLI) has around 245 members and represents the interests of an industry, which, through international technology leadership and worldwide success, has become a major driver of growth for the German economy. The German aerospace industry currently employs around 114,000 people directly and encompasses almost all strategic key technologies. It generates an annual sales volume of 41 billion euros (2019). The primary tasks of the BDLI include communication with political institutions, authorities, associations and foreign representations in Germany, but also various member services at home and abroad. The association is the trademark owner of ILA Berlin – the trade show for "Innovation and Leadership in Aerospace".
About DLR: DLR is Germany's research center for aerospace. Using the expertise of its 55 institutes and facilities, DLR researches solutions to meet current challenges on behalf of society. Its more than 9,000 employees share a common mission: We explore the Earth and space and develop technologies for a sustainable future.